I've got a few partially-finished projects to show today! Since it's been uber super busy around here lately, you're getting the short-and-sweet version.
I finished the knitting in almost no time at all and am just waiting for the chance to block it. I improvised the design and actually ripped back from the photo in the previous post so that I could make it narrower. After doing that, I got pretty decent length out of only one skein of Malabrigo Rios! Yay for the magic of dropped stitches.
And then because of the birth of my nephew, I was overtaken by the urge to knit tiny things.
4 inch DPN for scale
So I made a wee baby sock for Logan. I used sport weight leftovers and only cast on 24 stitches which helped this little thing knit up in a jiffy. I hope that baby likes warm toes because itty bitty socks are kind of addicting.
Finally, this is nowhere near done but here's most of the leg of the third Tour-de-Sock pattern, Lebowski by Star Athena.
I love stripes, especially in such happy colors, and I'm digging the little colorwork bits. I am going to take liberties with the heel, though. The original pattern involves an intarsia eagle and the image is just not jiving with the colors I'm using. Plus, I don't like to get too fancy with my heels as they take so much wear and tear, they just need to be sturdy. I have a dazzling idea in mind but you'll have to wait until next time. :) Sidebar: why have I never used Skinny Bugga for socks before? It's fabulous! It still feels soft and wonderful, but has a lower cashmere content than regular Bugga so hopefully won't pill and fuzz up as much in socks.
And a gratuitous Darwin picture because he was feeling frisky this morning:
Hello, friends! I am back from Tennessee with some stories and photos to share, but those will have to wait until a later date as right now I have a deadline. A knitting deadline (my favorite kind!) which has forced me to be monogamous in my WIPs. No cheating. All week long, all I knit was this:
Aren't you proud of me? That is a stockinette scarf with tapered ends, knit on the bias. A friend requested it and needed it quickly which worked out well because its simplicity made it excellent vacation knitting. However, a few hours ago it was a couple of feet longer. (Yes, you heard that right.) I had to rip back because I had missed the midpoint of the scarf, knitted right on past it, where I needed to change the direction of the bias so the ends would taper like I wanted them to. This was not a happy realization, especially since he needs this thing by Friday. Oy. Knit like the wind!
The yarn's really nice, though. I haven't used any with quite so much bamboo content before (77% bamboo, 23% Merino wool) but I'm loving the way the fabric feels. Loose, flowy, cool -- dare I say, exquisite. The yarn is currently on sale for half off at Webs, if you're interested.
That's all I have time for today, folks, I've gotta get through about 2 feet of scarf tonight. The Fiasco is highly amused by this project. He calls it my Dr. Seuss scarf. It does kind of remind me of a Thneed.
What you see above is the first wearable item my mom has ever crocheted! She tried knitting years and years ago when I first got into it and was entirely unsuccessful. She knit a "square" that was so misshapen that when folded in half, it looked like the perfect winter garment for a particular part of the male anatomy (think about it). While highly amusing, it was a frustrating experience for her and she basically gave up on crafting. Then I tried getting her into crochet, since it was a bit faster to do and I thought maybe she would enjoy handling just one hook and one stitch at a time better. She liked it and made a few things for around the house, but she couldn't do it perfectly so she wasn't happy with it and she almost quit. But, while I was home over Christmas, I showed how to use Craftsy and she signed up for Vickie Howell's crochet class-- which was just what she needed to make it all click for her. She sent me this scarf as a gift, her first really successful project, because she said I inspire her. I love it.
She used a soft, alpaca yarn and it feels really nice. It is also the first handmade garment anybody has ever given me, which when considering the vast numbers of handknit items I gift every year, is a little bit sad! (Somebody make me stuff! haha) But I love that she gave me her first project and I will wear it with pride and admiration of how she didn't give up, despite genitalia-shaped first attempts at yarncraft.
If you happen to be feeling in a giving mood, Afghans for Afghans is running a quick campaign for hats, mittens, and socks for teenagers (ages 14-21). The small or medium size of my free Giving Comfort hat pattern would be perfect for this and knits up quickly in bulky yarn or worsted weight held double, which many Ravelers have done. The deadline is tight (January 24th) but you can whip up a hat or mittens in under a week, I bet!
Speaking of tight deadlines, anybody feel like test knitting something quickly? (UPDATE: I think I have all the help I need for now, thanks guys!)
Sneaky peeky!
The test knit requires less than 100-150 yards of one colorway and about 75 yards of another of heavy worsted or aran-weight yarn. You only knit with one colorway at time and it's an item for your neck region. Please email me at shoelaceswitcher at gmail dot com or leave a comment saying you are interested in testing if you can finish the knit and post a picture on Ravelry by January 22nd (I know, I know! but I promise this is quick, especially the small size). If you could help a knitter out, I'd be eternally grateful. Plus, I can send you some yarn to knit it with (Malabrigo Twist) if you can guarantee you will be done in time! (Twist is my favorite yarn ever, so that should tell you how grateful I would be for your help...)
If you're feeling inspired this week and would like to share, please link along below!
